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Media Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sun West Ranch Wins National Responsible Development Award for Conservation and Preservation Mountain Living Magazine Names Montana Ranch Winner in Community Development Cameron, Mont., (April 25, 2006) — Sun West Ranch is pleased to announce that it has received the Mountain Living Magazine Responsible Development Award for Community Development. Winners were announced in April and are featured in Mountain Living’s May/June 2006 issue. Entrants were judged on specific criteria pertaining to the protection of natural assets, inclusion of historic architecture, cultural heritage, wildlife preservation and natural beauty. “We are delighted to receive an award like this. It is so special to be part of a community that not only enjoys the land but also understands the need to protect it,” said Ted Gildred, the Ranch’s developer and primary landowner. “When we began development at the ranch, we wanted to preserve the rich history of the land but also make it a retreat for owners to be able to fly fish, hike, ride their horses, or just relax.” Sun West Ranch is not a typical development and is extremely dedicated to protecting a spectacular natural setting while creating a true, shared-ranch community with shared values about conservation among its owners. Established in 1990, Sun West Ranch was one of the first to take a conservation approach by using smaller deeded home sites, leaving 1,600 acres of the total 2,000 acres—80 percent of the Ranch—in common land, shared in ownership by its residents. Almost 60 percent of the 55 total home sites have been sold, with only 23 sites remaining. In 2005, eight new owners joined the community that consists of residents from places such as Norway, San Francisco, New York, Atlanta, as well as Bozeman, Mont. residents who retreat to their homes at Sun West Ranch for weekend fly fishing. Sun West Ranch owners Ted and Heidi
Gildred wanted to develop the area
for others to enjoy but also wanted
to protect the unique character of
the Ranch. Native Americans used the
land for hundreds of years as a fall
hunting ground where, to date, numerous
tipi rings have been discovered along
with various artifacts that are displayed
in the Ranch headquarters. In the
1880s, the Shelton family homesteaded
the property, operating it as a cattle
ranch. Sun West Ranch has preserved
the original structures, including
the homestead and historic barn. In
addition, residents agree to protective
covenants and architectural guidelines
that conserve the land, wildlife habitat,
and the rural character of the Ranch. Sun West Ranch is the antithesis of a “typical development.” From its active community outreach to its public stand on conservation and preservation, Sun West Ranch strives not to just simply develop a new community, but to preserve a thousands-of-years-old legacy and ranching way of life for generations to come. |